The Beatles' “Magical Mystery Tour” and its documentary companion “Magical Mystery Tour Revisited,” the story behind the film recently seen on the BBC, are both coming to television sets in the United States in December, it was announced by PBS today.

PBS' “Great Performances” said today it will air “Magical Mystery Tour Revisited” at 9 p.m. ET Dec. 14, followed by the original Beatles film at 10 p.m. The original film was just reissued on DVD, but the extras included a shorter “making of” documentary and not the BBC version. Note also that PBS air dates are at the discretion of the individual affiliate and may not be the same in all areas, so viewers should check local listings to be sure.

The documentary features interviews with Paul McCartney, who had the original idea for “Magical Mystery Tour,” and Ringo Starr, who is credited as the director of photography. Both John Lennon and George Harrison are represented through interviews over the years and through appearances in the film itself and in the outtakes.

Line producer Gavrik Losey and cameraman Michael Seresin recall the atmosphere of the shoot, along with Jeni Crowley and Sylvia Nightingale who, as teenagers, reported from the coach for The Beatles' Fan Club magazine. Paul Fox, then controller of BBC One, recalls making the deal with The Beatles for the film.